Aussie men in NCAA: 2023-24 Division I college season primer

A look at some of prominent names flying the flag in the US college basketball scene.

One of the highlights of the NBL season so far has been seeing young Australian talent such as Alex Toohey, Ben Henshall, Rocco Zikarsky and more breaking out at the professional level, but what about those that did not opt for the professional path?

Over in the United States, we continue to have an immense number of talented Australians developing in the NCAA system, with many on track to become the NBL stars of tomorrow, or in more than a couple of cases, the chance to be some of our next young stars to hit the NBA stage.

Let’s dive in to some of the standout men playing college basketball this season.

Freshmen

For a player barely recognised in Australia let alone globally twelve months ago, Johnny Furphy suddenly has a ton of pressure on his young shoulders. The 18 year old set the recruiting scene abuzz after an exceptional showing at the NBA Academy Games in July. He commanded interest from college basketball’s biggest programs before landing with the Kansas Jayhawks, the projected number one team in college basketball this season, per ESPN, and returned home to train with the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix ahead of the college season.

Furphy’s potential has not been understated, but he joins a roster stacked with more experienced, NBA-level talent. As a three, returning wing Kevin McCullar Jr. is set to start at the position, with backup wing minutes a competition between Furphy and graduate senior transfer Nicholas Timberlake, freshman Jamari McDowell. While head coach Bill Self has noted that several players are in contention for the starting two-guard position, including Furphy, it appears projected 2024 lottery pick Elmarko Jackson is the current frontrunner.

As the team’s final recruit, Furphy might seem a bit of an afterthought in this year’s rotation, but the Victorian comes in with plenty of reason to play in his own right.